Inmates in Pike County can get help towards a second chance once they are released from jail.

WestCare is starting a mentor program.

Former inmates will get one on one help to get their life back on track, but before the program can start, WestCare needs 100 volunteers to be mentors.

Officials say many inmates released in Pike County end up back in jail.

“There's far too many. Some people make the same mistake over and over,” Judge Darrel Mullins said.

“They go back out and get into the same environment and begin to use again because that's all they know,” Cathy Coleman said.

Leaders want to break that pattern. WestCare received a federal grant to start a "Second Chance, Ex-Offender Mentoring Program," something they say was proven effective in Chicago. Inmates who want to participate will get job skills, parenting classes, anger management, and be paired with a mentor from the community.

“Show them a different way of life. Try to teach them new social skills and introduce them into a different part of society of the environment they've been in before,” Coleman said.

WestCare needs 100 volunteers to be mentors.

Leaders believe if the mentors start working with the inmates as soon as they're released from jail, it will keep them from committing crimes and going back.

“The people who are mentors will gain a lot too because they will be putting something back into the community and making a difference,” Judge Mullins said.

Volunteers must be at least 18.

WestCare will train all mentors and help provide social activities.

If you want to volunteer to be a mentor, you can call 606-432-9442.